The 12th Man

The most well-known and revered Aggie tradition on game day concerns the 12th Man. The original 12th man was a fellow by the name of E. King Gill. Gill was in the press box on the day A&M was playing Centre College in the 1922 Dixie Classic, forerunner to the Cotton Bowl. The Aggies were major underdogs, but were playing Centre close. Injuries began to mount, and finally Coach Dana X. Bible called Gill down and asked hime to suit up. Gill had played football, but was really more of a basketball player. Nevertheless, he suited up under the stands and waited to play. A&M went on to win the game, and at the end, Gill was the only player left on the sideline for the Aggies.

Since that time, Aggies stand for the entire game to symbolize their willingness to come out of the stands if need be to support their team (they only sit down during the portion of the halftime show reserved for the visiting band).

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